Differences in Associations of Menopausal Symptoms with Job-related Stress Factors in Full-time and Part-time Workers in Japan

Abstract

Background: A large proportion of women in the workforce including part-time workers and full-time workers are in the period of menopausal transition. The degree and kind of menopausal symptoms may be different in full-time workers and part-time workers since the contents of job-related stress in full-time workers and part-time workers are different. We compared menopausal symptoms and job-related stress factors in full-time workers and part-time workers and the associations of menopausal symptoms with job-related stress in both groups. Methods: Health questionnaires including Greene’s climacteric scales and job-related stress scores were given to 613 female general workers aged 45-60 years in Japan. Results: Total Greene’s climacteric scores were not significantly different in full-time workers and part-time workers. Symptoms with high frequencies in both full-time and part-time workers were feeling tired or lacking in energy, loss of interest in sex and irritability. Scores for quantitative overload, qualitative overload and interpersonal relationships in full-time workers were significantly lower than those in part-time workers, while scores for physical overload and workplace environment in part-time workers were significantly lower than those in full-time workers. Psychological symptoms showed significant associations with job control, interpersonal relationships, workplace environment, job fitness and job satisfaction in full-time workers. Conclusions: The degree of job-related stress and the association of job-related stress with menopausal symptoms were different in full-time workers and part-time workers, though menopausal symptoms were similar in full-time and part-time workers. Different strategies for management of menopausal symptoms may be needed in full-time workers and part-time workers.